April 2, 2022

THE PERFECT EASTER/MOTHER'S DAY CAKE

I love this cake and make it about once a year when I'm having people over in the Spring or Summer.  If the candy part seems daunting just leaving it off.  The cake is just as good with only the Lemon Curd Cream Frosting.  

I prefer Chiffon to Angel Food Cake.  They are similar but Chiffon includes the egg yolks so it is richer but still light in texture.  Enjoy make this cake!


CITRUS CHIFFON CAKE WITH LEMON CURD CREAM FROSTING AND

  LEMON CRUNCH CANDY COATING SERVED WITH FRESH BERRIES  

Serves 8 to 10.

Cake:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 T. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

7 egg yolks

3/4 cup cold water

1 T. lemon zest

1 tsp. orange zest

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup egg whites (7 to 8 whites)

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Candy:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 T. baking soda

2 tsp. lemon extract

Frosting:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup prepared lemon curd (see below)

Sliced strawberries, sugared

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. To make the cake, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center and add in order the oil, egg yolks, cold water, lemon and orange zests and vanilla.  Stir until smooth.

2. With a mixer, whip egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.  Gradually pour egg yolk mixture over beaten whites, folding gently until just blended.  Pour into an ungreased 10 inch angel food cake pan.  Bake for 65 to 75 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger. 

3. Invert pan and let stand until cake is completely cool.  To remove from pan, loosen first by moving a spatula up and down against in the inside of pan.  Next, hit edge of pan against counter top and gently shake cake out onto cake plate.  Leave cake bottom side up and cut in half across to form 2 layers.

4. To make candy, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in a heavy 4-quart saucepan.  Cook over medium high heat, without stirring, until sugar dissolves.  Continue cooking, again without stirring, until syrup reaches the hard-crack stage, 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. 

5. Remove pan from heat and immediately stir in baking soda and lemon extract.  Stir until blended—it will be very foamy.  Quickly pour candy on prepared parchment cover pan and spread as thin as possible.  Let cool completely, 20 to 30 minutes.  Break and crush candy into tiny pieces—you probably won’t need it all for the cake.

6. Whip cream to stiff peaks and fold in the lemon curd.  Fill and frost cake with lemon cream and press crushed candy into the sides of the cake to coat well; refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours to set cream into a mousse-like texture before serving. 

 

LEMON CURD                         

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

6 T. fresh lemon juice

1 T. lemon zest

Whisk sugar, eggs, yolk, butter, lemon juice and zest in a medium saucepan over medium low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens to the consistency of lightly whipped cream, about 5 minutes. Mixture should reach 160 degrees on an instant thermometer at this point. Pour into a bowl; cover with plastic wrap set right on the surface of the curd and chill for several hours until cold.